The Decentralist Papers · Paper IV of XX
Distributed Representation
No One Goes to DC
The current model concentrates 535 people in one city. Lobbyists know exactly where to go. The DC bubble forms. Representatives become disconnected from the people they serve.
The Decentralist model: Representatives stay home.
Each representative:
- Lives in their district
- Works from a local office
- Works on secure, auditable government infrastructure
- Connects over satellite or fiber from anywhere in the district
- Never moves to Washington
The representative’s life doesn’t change. They still coach little league. Their kids stay in school. Their spouse keeps their job. The office is 10 minutes from home.
What this eliminates:
- The DC bubble
- Lobbyist concentration
- Representatives becoming strangers to their community
- The expense of dual residences
- Congressional “recesses” (they’re always home)
What this requires:
- A secure workstation per representative
- Satellite connectivity that works anywhere on the continent
- A public, tamper-evident record of every vote
None of this is speculative. Every piece is commercial, off-the-shelf technology today.